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This the back of the Hair/Founds 1976 super. Very much like the sprinters but without the tell tale braces on the back.

These were known from what I understand 'halo cages'. I notice them mainly from 1976 to 1979 Nance cars.

But there was one built earlier in the 70's, and most likely the first of it's kind from Nance from what I am able to find. I have been through thousands of pics, and this design is on my radar in regards to 1970's Nances.

The first one I know of on this design is the Hampton #94, built I believe in 1973 (maybe 1972). It could have been that the car was so popular ( I don't know), that the style caught on for Nance.

Nance didn't invent the Halo Cage, but his basic design did set the stage for it to be copied and modified well into the late 1980s by Challenger/Stanton, J&J, Tognotti, Barnett, Maxwell (who may have actually been there when the #94 was built), and quite a few others.

The first Halo Cage builder in regards to producing quite a few cars was none other than Grant King. But in my opinion, no one could do it like Grant King, he was in a class all his own.

Still, a mid to late 70's Nance sprinter IS collectable, as there aren't many around anymore.

Boyd "Bones" Breiten would most likely know more about it than anyone I know of. Bones doesn't mess with computers, son Marty is the one in the family that checks in here on occasion.

Bones would attract friends like honey attracts flies!LOL. If you got Bones Breiten to chime in on this forum, his friends would be ready to do so as well, or at least more often.

I always assumed the #94 was built brand new in the 1975 for the 75 Hutch Nationals?

Warren Vincent
Cans 4 Kansas Heroes

Bushwacker--

It has the fiberglass tail tank that covers fuel tank
And the torsion bars are gold anizoid colored, probably aftermarket or some other brand which was put on by the previous owner whom we bought it from, they are not rusted.
And you are right, the chassis itself is Nance built with newer components on it, as for the year of it, the previous owner told my dad its an '80, but with the help of you Nance buffs out there, its telling me its probably pre 80.

Racing Sprint Cars requires TWO BALLS to drive!
Racing anything else requires NONE!

It would be awesome if you could get Bones to chime in....I'm all for it....lol

Racing Sprint Cars requires TWO BALLS to drive!
Racing anything else requires NONE!

Maybe I got it wrong.

The story in my head is it was completed in 1974 (begun in 1973), and tried to win the 1974 Hutch Nationals, for which was it's purpose. It did win the 1975 Nats however.

Mainly the car was in kit form when it left Nances shop and completed elsewhere. Perry Tripp would know for sure.

I do not know if it was new at the 75 Hutch Nationals but it sure looked like it. Norman told me that it was the first time that he had seen it. Dale Reed won the 75 race in the Isaac car and Jerry Stone won in 76 in the 94. The 75 Hutch race was also the first time that I for me to see the Jelly 24 car with Harold Leep driving it. Was this the first race for that car?

Ray

Looks like I had it a year off. They must have made an effort in 75 the first time, and then won in 1976.

I keep mixing it up, thinking Dale Reed won in it, but I stand corrected. You guys are right.

1975 was the only year for the #24 version of the Suchy car. It had been #13 with Benny Taylor driving(until near mid season), and then Larry Holman cinched the OkC Championship with it at the end of the year in '75( Benny had gotten hurt in the newer Parson version of #13). It is the same car that won the OkC title in 1974. The number 24 was chosen since Walton wouldn't give up the number 21, after Holman left that seat.

Monte Cole back in ther early days of this site talked to Mr. Hampton. I believe it was said to have been put together in the garage. Maybe by a foriegn (hawaiian or Asian)looking guy that may have worked for Nance helped put it together. I think he is in some winner shots on this site with the #24 Wilhelm car with Jerry Stone.

Warren Vincent
Cans 4 Kansas Heroes

Scotty1n, That 86 Nance Sprint Chassis I have # is 2-86-11, if that helps with your list any.

You got a picture of that thing? Would like to see it.

Racing Sprint Cars requires TWO BALLS to drive!
Racing anything else requires NONE!

Thanks, I'll add it to the list.

Anyone else with a Nance car, I would love to have your chassis number and I'll add it to the list. Anyone want to see what we have so far contact me and I'll send it to you. Thanks, Scotty

"We don't really know how to build race cars yet.......................but we're a learnin'"

Laverne Nance, 1983

Nance did not build race cars with HALO cages. Grant King and others including Jelly, Rick Stewart, Keith Barker and a few otheres did. Grant was the standard by which all otheres were compared.

The small tubing braces on the top rear of the cage on cars such as the Founds car and the 94 car do NOT make them halo cages. They are body mounts and have nothing to do with saftey.

Not only did Nance not invent the halo cage, he did'nt build them either.

I think Ray is asking about Leep in Jellys orange #24 house car in 75. You know. There was a car built by Jelly that was not a Suchey car that carried the #24.

I wasn't referring to the 'body mount, wrap around' tubing for a t-body super- I merely had no other name to go by for the pre-80 cage found on Edmunds ,Nance, Stanton etc. In other words "One rear hoop, two tie ins from the frame rails. I totally forgot Don Edmunds did it in the early 70's. Maybe it is a stretch to refer to them as a halo. They were nowhere near as aesthetic as a King- but then no one did it better than he.

I forgot the orange , sprint tailed Jelly #24. I always think of Jerry Stone driving that car.

I don't consider myself an expert by any means. I'm just trying to help narrow it down.

MB_Motorsports, I will work on that getting a pic put on here.

Somebody answer me this , where did Nance come up with his Cage Design from around 80 on up , was it for safety only or also flex in the chassis. Just curious if anyone knows??

I don't know about the reason for the cage design change but at about that time I was at the shop and I quizzed Lavern why he began moving a lot of the verticle tubes apart from other tubing intersections. He informed me that it gave the chassis a chance to cushion and bend in a crash. I told him my thoughts were that it made the chassis flex too much and flimsy. He chuckled when I then added I suppose he would sell more frames that way.

Nance had a novel idea and now it is copied by most all who build them now.

Mr Nance was a great idea man. When his frames came out with the cage kickdowns made as part of the cage design and not just 2 pieces of tubing welded or in some cases bolted to the back of the cage, everybody thought why didn't I think of that. He was the first builder to make the 3 inch open tube rear axle out of aluminium instead of steel. I don't know how much less that it weighed but all of us that had to change them owe him a big thank you. They were so much easier to change when you had the car on jacks and had to man handle the complete rearend into the car.

Ray